JP4963666B2 - Fuel supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel supply device for a vehicle, and more particularly to a fuel supply device for a motorcycle that supplies fuel from a fuel tank to a fuel injection device.

  In recent years, fuel pump modules that integrate fuel pumps, pressure control devices, strainers, etc. are widely used as fuel supply devices for vehicles such as motorcycles and four-wheeled vehicles from the viewpoint of reducing the number of parts and improving the efficiency of assembly work. It is used. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of such a fuel supply apparatus 101. As shown in FIG. 6, the fuel supply device 101 is a pump module in which an electric pump 102, a filter 103, a pressure regulator (not shown), and the like are integrated. A member called a flange (flange 104) having a disk-shaped portion is used for the fuel supply device 101. The fuel supply device 101 is attached to the opening of the fuel tank by the flange 104, and is placed in the fuel tank. Installed.

The electric pump 102 of the fuel supply apparatus 101 is a fuel pump driven by an electric motor, and is combined with the pump driving motor as a unit. In the fuel supply device 101 of FIG. 6, the electric pump 102 is assembled so as to be sandwiched between the flange 104 and the lower cup 105 disposed below the flange 104. The lower cup 105 is coupled to the flange 104 at the snap fit portion 106, whereby the electric pump 102 is held between the flange 104 and the lower cup 105. When the electric pump 102 is driven, the fuel in the fuel tank is sucked through the filter 103, and the fuel regulated by the pressure regulator is fed to the fuel supply system of the engine.
JP 2005-104444 A JP 2005-170273 A

  On the other hand, there are various specifications for the fuel tank, and when the fuel supply device 101 as shown in FIG. 6 is used for a tank with a deep bottom, the total length of the module is shown in FIG. It needs to be stretched over things. However, when the overall length of the module is increased, the length of the snap fit portion 106 is increased, and the rigidity of the entire snap fit portion is decreased. For this reason, when vibration is applied to the apparatus, there is a problem that the snap fit may be removed due to the influence.

  An object of the present invention is to improve a coupling state of a snap fitting portion that couples between a flange and a lower cup in a fuel supply device having a long overall length for a deep tank, and to prevent snap fitting from being detached due to vibration.

A fuel supply apparatus according to the present invention includes a flange unit that is fixed to a fuel tank, a flange unit that includes a first snap-fit portion that is formed to protrude from the flange portion, an electric motor, and a fuel that is driven by the electric motor. A pump assembly, one end of which is connected to the flange unit, a case disposed at the other end of the pump assembly, and housing the end of the pump assembly, and a protrusion formed in the case A lower cup provided with a second snap fit portion elastically connected to the first snap fit portion, and disposed along the axial direction between the flange unit and the lower cup, with one end attached to the flange unit a cylindrical sleeve is, a fuel supply apparatus comprising a said Ponpua' And a body portion disposed in a gap between an outer peripheral surface of the pump assembly housed in the sleeve and the second snap fit portion, and the first portion. In the connecting portion between the snap fit portion and the second snap fit portion, the snap fit portion is disposed radially inward of the first and second snap fit portions, and the snap fit portion moves in the radial direction. And a portion for preventing the snap fit portion from being detached.

  In the present invention, a sleeve is arranged between the flange unit and the lower cup, and the sleeve restricts the radial movement of the snap fit portion on the inner peripheral side at the connecting portion of the first and second snap fit portions. As a result, it is possible to prevent the snap-fit portion from being detached and to prevent the connecting portion from being disconnected due to the vibration even when the fuel supply device is vibrated.

  In the fuel supply apparatus, the second snap fit portion may be inserted and disposed in a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve and the inner peripheral surface of the first snap fit portion. Moreover, you may provide the projection part which protrudes in a radial direction in the position facing the said connection part of the said sleeve outer peripheral surface. Further, a fitting hole is provided on one side of the first snap fitting part and the second snap fitting part, and a fitting claw is provided on the other side, and the fitting hole and the fitting claw are fitted at the connection part. And the height of the fitting claw may be set to a value larger than the dimension obtained by adding the thickness of the first snap fit portion and the clearance between the second snap fit portion and the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve. good.

On the other hand, in the fuel supply device of the present invention, on one end side of the sleeve, a fitting portion that fits the flange unit and joins the sleeve and the flange unit is provided, and the snap fit portion is moved in the radial direction. You may provide the said site | part to regulate between the said main-body part and the said fitting part .

  According to the fuel supply apparatus of the present invention, the flange unit fixed to the fuel tank and provided with the first snap fit portion, the pump assembly including the electric motor and the fuel pump, and the first snap fit portion are elastically connected. And a lower cup having a second snap fit portion, wherein a sleeve is disposed between the flange unit and the lower cup, and the inner peripheral side of the connection portion between the first and second snap fit portions. Since the sleeve is arranged so as to restrict the radial movement of the snap-fit portion located in the position, even if vibration is applied to the fuel supply device, the snap-fit portion is prevented from being disconnected due to the vibration. be able to. For this reason, even in a fuel supply device having a long axial length, the coupling state of the snap-fit portion can be maintained and secured, and the reliability of the fuel supply device can be improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a fuel supply device for a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded configuration diagram of main components thereof. 1 is a fuel pump module in which an electric motor 2, a fuel pump 3, a pressure regulator 4 and the like are integrated, and is attached from the upper surface side of the fuel tank 2, similarly to the device of FIG. . An opening 5 is formed on the upper surface of the fuel tank 2, and the fuel supply device 1 is attached so as to be inserted into the tank through the opening 5. A fuel pipe 6 is connected to the fuel supply device 1 to supply fuel to the fuel injection valve via an engine fuel supply system (not shown).

  The fuel supply device 1 also has a configuration in which a pump assembly 7 in which an electric motor 2 and a fuel pump 3 are integrated is sandwiched between a flange unit 8 and a lower cup 9 and fixed by claw fitting. However, the fuel supply device 1 of FIG. 1 is designed to be attached to a fuel tank having a deep bottom, and the total length in the axial direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1) is longer than that of the device of FIG. As described above, when the entire length of the apparatus is increased, the rigidity of the entire snap fit portion is lowered, and the nail fitting of the snap fit portion is easily released. Therefore, in the fuel supply device 1, the sleeve 10 is interposed between the flange unit 8 and the lower cup 9, and the snap fit portion is supported from the back to prevent the snap fit from being detached.

  The flange unit 8 of the fuel supply device 1 includes a disk-shaped flange portion 11 and three snap fit portions (first snap fit portions) 12 protruding from the lower surface side of the flange portion 11. The flange portion 11 is fixed to the upper surface of the fuel tank 2 by bolts and nuts (not shown), and an outlet pipe 13 and a power connector 14 are provided on the upper surface side. A fuel pipe 6 is connected to the outlet pipe 13, and a power terminal (not shown) is accommodated in the power connector 14. The power supply terminal is electrically connected to the electric motor 2 via the harness 15.

  A pipe-shaped joint 16 is attached to the lower surface side of the flange portion 11, and is connected to the pump assembly 7 via the joint 16. The joint 16 communicates with the outlet pipe 13, and the fuel discharged from the pump assembly 7 is sent to the outlet pipe 13 through the joint 16. A pressure regulator 4 is attached in the middle of the joint 16, and the fuel pressure in the joint 16 is appropriately adjusted by the pressure regulator 4 and fed to the fuel pipe 6.

  The snap fit portion 12 extends downward along the axial direction from the lower surface of the flange portion 11, and a fitting hole 17 is formed at the tip portion thereof. On the other hand, the lower cup 9 is also provided with three snap fit portions (second snap fit portions) 19 extending in the axial direction. A fitting claw 19 is formed at the tip of the snap fit portion 18, and the fitting claw 19 is fitted into the fitting hole 17 from the inside. Thereby, the connection part 21 of the snap fit parts 12 and 19 is formed. The snap-fit portion 18 of the lower cup 9 protrudes from the cylindrical case portion 22 along the axial direction, and the lower end portion of the pump assembly 7 is accommodated in the case portion 22. The flange unit 8 and the lower cup 9 are coupled by fitting the fitting claw 19 and the fitting hole 17 in a state where the pump assembly 7 is accommodated in the case portion 22.

  As described above, in the fuel supply device 1, the sleeve 10 is mounted between the flange unit 8 and the lower cup 9. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the sleeve 10, and FIG. 4 is a top view of the sleeve 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the sleeve 10 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and fitting protrusions 23 a and 23 b project from the upper portion thereof. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, fitting portions 24a and 24b are provided on the lower surface side of the flange portion 11 so as to correspond to the fitting protrusions 23a and 23b. The sleeve 10 is attached to the flange unit 8 by fitting the fitting protrusions 23a and 23b into the fitting portions 24a and 24b. The reason why the cross section of the sleeve 10 is partially non-circular is in accordance with the mounting configuration on the flange unit 8 side, and need not necessarily be formed non-circular.

  The fitting protrusions 23a and 23b are provided in a shape (here, 2 mm) protruding in the radial direction from the outer periphery of the main body 10a of the sleeve 10. Further, projecting portions 25a and 25b projecting in the radial direction are provided below the fitting projections 23a and 23b. The height of the protrusions 25a and 25b is set to 0.75 mm. On the other hand, the snap fit portion 12 on the flange unit 8 side is provided outside the fitting portions 24a and 24b as shown in FIG. The radial dimension of the fitting portions 24a and 24b is 2.8 mm. When the sleeve 10 is attached to the flange unit 8, a gap of 2.8 mm is provided between the sleeve main body portion 10a and the snap fit portion 12. Is formed. Further, a gap of 2.05 mm is formed between the sleeve main body portion 10a and the snap fit portion 12 in the protrusion portions 25a and 25b.

  In the fuel supply device 1, the lower cup 9 with the pump assembly 7 attached is attached to the flange unit 8 with the sleeve 10 attached from below. At this time, first, the snap fit portion 18 (thickness 2 mm) of the lower cup 9 is inserted into the gap (2.8 mm) between the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve main body portion 10 a and the inner peripheral surface of the snap fit portion 12. When the lower cup 9 is further inserted, the snap fit portion 18 is inserted between the projection portions 25a and 25b and the snap fit portion 12 (2.05 mm). In this case, the front end of the fitting claw 19 is set at a position slightly protruding to the outer diameter side from the inner diameter of the snap fit portion 12 on the flange unit 8 side. Accordingly, when the snap fit portion 18 is inserted between the sleeve main body portion 10a and the snap fit portion 12, the fitting claw 19 enters the snap fitting portion 12 while pushing the snap fit portion 12 outward, and eventually fits into the fitting hole 17. .

  When the fitting claw 19 is fitted into the fitting hole 17, the snap fit portion 12 pushed outward is elastically restored to the original state, and as shown in FIG. 1, the flange unit 8 and the lower cup 9 are It is fixed by claw fitting. At this time, the protrusions 25a and 25b of the sleeve 10 are present behind the snap fitting portion 18 on the lower cup 9 side, and restricts the radial movement of the snap fitting portion 18 located inside. For this reason, even if vibration is applied to the fuel supply device 1, the movement of the snap fit portion 18 in the radial direction is suppressed, so that the fitting claw 19 is difficult to come off from the fitting hole 17.

  In particular, in the fuel supply apparatus 1, the height of the fitting claw 19 (2.5 mm) is such that the thickness of the snap fit portion 12 (2.0 mm) and the gap behind the snap fit portion 18 (2.05 mm− 2 mm = 0.05 mm) and a larger value than the dimension (2.05 mm). For this reason, even if vibration is applied to the fuel supply device 1 and the snap fit portion 18 moves in the radial direction along with vibration, the fitting claw 19 does not come off the fitting hole 17. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the snap-fit fitting claw 19 from being detached from the fitting hole 17 due to the influence of vibration. Even in the fuel supply device 1 having a long axial length, the connectivity of the snap fit portions 12 and 19 is ensured, and the reliability of the device can be improved.

  On the other hand, in the fuel supply device 1, the pump assembly 7 is supported by the lower cup 9 at the lower end side and by the joint 16 at the upper end side. However, as shown in FIG. 2, the pump assembly 7 has a stepped outer diameter, and the lower cup 9 holds the large-diameter portion 26. In the pump assembly 7, vibrations during operation are unavoidable due to the rotational drive units such as the electric motor 2 and the fuel pump 3, and it is difficult to say that the upper and lower ends alone are sufficient for supporting the pump assembly 7. .

  Therefore, in the fuel supply apparatus 1, the pump assembly 7 is supported by the sleeve 10, and the support strength of the pump assembly 7 is sufficiently ensured. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality (7 in this case) of ribs 28 projecting in the radial direction are formed on the inner peripheral surface 27 of the sleeve 10. The inner diameter D1 of the tip of the rib 28 is formed slightly larger (for example, about 0.3 mm) than the outer diameter D2 of the small diameter portion 29 of the pump assembly 7. The rib 28 is provided over the entire length of the sleeve main body 10a along the axial direction. A tapered portion 30 is formed at the lower end portion of the rib 28.

  As described above, when the lower cup 9 in the pump assembly mounting state is attached to the flange unit 8 in the sleeve mounting state, the small diameter portion 29 of the pump assembly 7 is accommodated in the sleeve 10. At this time, the pump assembly 7 is smoothly introduced into the sleeve 10 by the tapered portion 30 and accommodated inside the rib 28. The pump assembly 7 accommodated in the sleeve 10 is restricted from moving in the radial direction by ribs 28 protruding from the sleeve inner peripheral surface 27. That is, the small diameter portion 29 of the pump assembly 7 is held by the rib 28 of the sleeve 10. Therefore, in the fuel supply device 1, the stepped pump assembly 7 is supported not only by the upper and lower ends but also the central portion thereof by the sleeve 10. For this reason, the pump assembly 7 which is a drive part is supported over substantially the whole length, and also in this respect, the reliability of the apparatus is improved.

  The pump assembly 7 has a configuration in which the electric motor 2 and the fuel pump 3 are integrally accommodated in a steel shell case 31. An outlet cover 32 and an inlet cover 33 are caulked and fixed to both ends of the cylindrical shell case 31. The outlet cover 32 is formed of a synthetic resin and is attached to one end side of the shell case 31. A brush holder 35 that holds a brush 34 of the electric motor 2 is provided inside the outlet cover 32. A fuel discharge port 36 is provided in the outlet cover 32, and the joint 16 is connected to the fuel discharge port 36. On the other hand, the inlet cover 33 is formed by aluminum die casting and is attached to the other end side of the shell case 31. A fuel suction portion 37 projects from the lower end side of the inlet cover 33, and a filter 38 is attached to the outside of the fuel suction portion 37.

  The electric motor 2 is a DC motor with a brush, and here, a type using a flat commutator 39 in which the brush 34 is slidably contacted in the axial direction is applied. The fuel pump 3 is a non-volume regenerative pump, and includes a pump case 41 and an impeller 42. The impeller 42 is connected to the rotating shaft 43 of the electric motor 2 and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 43. In the fuel pump 3, when the electric motor 2 is driven and the rotating shaft 43 operates, the impeller 42 rotates, and fuel is sucked from the fuel suction portion 37 as the impeller 42 rotates. The fuel sucked from the fuel suction portion 37 is sent into the shell case 31 by the rotation of the impeller 42 and discharged from the fuel discharge port 36.

  It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

  For example, the various dimensions such as the gap dimensions described above are numerical values that are appropriately set according to the apparatus specifications, and the present invention is not limited to the above numerical values. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the fitting hole 17 is provided in the snap fit portion 12 and the fitting claw 19 is provided in the snap fit portion 18 is shown. A fitting claw may be provided. In addition, when the fitting nail | claw is provided in the snap fitting part 12, and the fitting hole is provided in the snap fitting part 18, the snap fitting part 12 is arrange | positioned in the inner peripheral side of the snap fitting part 18 unlike the above-mentioned Example. The

  On the other hand, an example in which the fuel supply device according to the present invention is used for a motorcycle has been shown. is there. The configuration of the present invention can be applied not only to a fuel pump but also to a pump such as a liquid such as water or chemicals or a gas such as air. Further, the configuration of the electric motor 2 and the fuel pump 3 is not particularly limited. For example, the number of poles, the number of slots, the shape of the impeller, and the like can be set as appropriate.

It is a side view of the fuel supply apparatus which is one Example of this invention. It is a disassembled block diagram of the main components of the fuel supply apparatus of FIG. It is a bottom view of a sleeve. It is a top view of a sleeve. It is a bottom view of a flange unit, and is sectional drawing which followed the AA line of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the conventional fuel supply apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fuel supply apparatus 2 Electric motor 2 Fuel tank 3 Fuel pump 4 Pressure regulator 5 Opening 6 Fuel piping 7 Pump assembly 8 Flange unit 9 Lower cup 10 Sleeve 10a Body part 11 Flange part 12 Snap fitting part 13 Outlet pipe 14 Power supply connector 15 Harness 16 Joint 17 Fitting hole 18 Snap fitting portion 19 Fitting claw 21 Connection portion 22 Case portions 23a, 23b Fitting protrusions 24a, 24b Fitting portions 25a, 25b Protrusion portion 26 Large diameter portion 27 Inner circumferential surface 28 Rib 29 Small diameter portion 30 Tapered portion 31 Shell case 32 Outlet cover 33 Inlet cover 34 Brush 35 Brush holder 36 Fuel outlet 37 Fuel suction portion 38 Filter 39 Flat commutator 41 Pump case 42 Impeller 43 Rotating shaft
101 Fuel supply system
102 Electric pump
103 Filter
104 flange
105 Lower cup
106 Snap fit part D1 Rib inner diameter D2 Small diameter outer diameter

Claims (5)

A flange unit including a flange portion fixed to the fuel tank, and a first snap-fit portion protruding from the flange portion;
A pump assembly including an electric motor and a fuel pump driven by the electric motor, one end of which is connected to the flange unit;
A case portion disposed on the other end side of the pump assembly, in which an end portion of the pump assembly is accommodated, and a second snap fit portion protruding from the case portion and elastically connected to the first snap fit portion A lower cup comprising
A fuel supply device including a cylindrical sleeve disposed along the axial direction between the flange unit and the lower cup and having one end side attached to the flange unit;
The pump assembly is housed in the sleeve;
The sleeve is
A body portion disposed in a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the pump assembly housed in the sleeve and the second snap fit portion;
In the connecting portion between the first snap fit portion and the second snap fit portion, the snap fit portion is disposed on the radially inner side of the snap fit portion located on the inner side of the first and second snap fit portions. A fuel supply device comprising: a portion that restricts movement in a direction and prevents detachment of the snap fit portion.   2. The fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second snap fit portion is inserted and disposed in a gap between an outer peripheral surface of the sleeve and an inner peripheral surface of the first snap fit portion. apparatus.   The fuel supply device according to claim 2, wherein a projecting portion projecting in a radial direction is provided at a position facing the connection portion of the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve as the portion that restricts the radial movement of the snap fit portion. The fuel supply apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.   4. The fuel supply device according to claim 3, wherein the first snap-fit portion and the second snap-fit portion have a fitting hole on one of them and a fitting claw on the other side, and the connecting portion has The fitting hole and the fitting claw are fitted, and the height of the fitting claw is determined by the thickness of the first snap fit portion and the gap between the second snap fit portion and the projection portion. A fuel supply device characterized in that it is set to a value larger than the dimension obtained by adding 5. The fuel supply device according to claim 1, wherein a fitting portion that fits the flange unit and joins the sleeve and the flange unit is provided on one end side of the sleeve, and the snap is provided. The fuel supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portion that restricts the radial movement of the fitting portion is provided between the main body portion and the fitting portion.

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